Role Title: Director, Patient Safety First

- Employment Type: Full Time Ongoing
- Position Classification : Health Manager Level 6
- Remuneration : $197,473 - $215,676 plus Superannuation
- Location : 1 Reserve Road, St Leonards NSW
- Hours Per Week: 40
- Requisition ID : REQ
- Closing Date : 18 October 2026 (11:59PM)

About us

- Our core values of collaboration, openness, respect, and empowerment are more than just words – they are the guiding principles that shape every aspect of our work.
- While regular office presence is essential, we offer flexible work arrangements to support your needs.
- Committed to fostering diverse and inclusive workplace for all.

To learn more about the Ministry and what benefits we offer, access our Employee Benefits Handbook.

About the role

With your skills and experience, you can contribute to the millions of ways we are enhancing health and wellness while developing your career as part of the largest health organisation in Australia.

The Director, Patient Safety First leads the development and implementation of governance frameworks that strengthen safety and quality across NSW Health. The Director plays a critical role in delivering the NSW Health Future Health Strategy by supporting safe, high-quality care and improved health outcomes for patients, families and carers. The role provides expert leadership, strategic advice and guidance on clinical safety and quality matters, and leads the coordination of rapid, system-wide responses to emerging risks, patient safety concerns and critical incidents.

For more information, please read the full Role Description.

What you will be doing

Reporting to the Executive Director, System Management Branch, the Director,



Patient Safety First fosters solid partnerships with the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission, the Agency for Clinical Innovation, and key areas within the Ministry of Health to;

- Lead initiatives to improve safety and quality across the NSW Health system, informed by data, evidence and consultation with key stakeholders.
- Lead the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of strategies and priorities under the Patient Safety First program of work.
- Ensure compliance with legislative and regulatory obligations, and alignment with Ministry of Health, Local Health District (LHD) and Specialty Health Network (SHN) strategic priorities and collaborative goals.
- Convene the daily RIB Huddle and oversee the coordination, management and analysis of incident, RIB and Serious Adverse Event Review (SAER) data in accordance with the SAER Framework.
- Provide high level leadership and support for patient safety and quality improvement committees, working groups, clinical reviews, confidential matters and other activities as directed.

About you

We are seeking motivated and committed individuals who can support the work of NSW Health with:

- Relevant tertiary qualifications or demonstrated equivalent professional experience in safety and quality




- Strong leadership skills and demonstrated advanced critical thinking skills including knowledge and experience in strategic decision making
- Excellent interpersonal communication, consultation and negotiation skills with a demonstrated ability to prepare and present high-quality reports, presentations and briefings.
- Demonstrated experience developing and managing a high-performance team and fostering a collegial, professional work environment.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

At the Ministry of Health, we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and flexible setting which reflects the community and customers we serve. We actively promote the employment of women, people with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTIQ+ community and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. For more information, please visit Diversity Inclusion Belonging.

To be eligible for employment in these roles you must be an Australian citizen, or a permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen, or hold a valid visa with permission to work in Australia.

Additional information

1. This recruitment may be used to create a Talent Pool for similar future roles (ongoing or temporary) that may arise over the next 18 months.

2. For more information on applying visit our career portal.

3. Please note that the selection process will include a range of comparative assessment techniques to assist in determining your suitability for the role.

NSW Health acknowledges the people of the many traditional countries and language groups of New South Wales. It acknowledges the wisdom of Elders past and present, and pays respect to all Aboriginal communities of today.

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📌 Director, Patient Safety First (Sydney)
🏢 NSW Health
📍 Sydney